A. E. Ligachev

Femtosecond laser writing of subwave one-dimensional quasiperiodic nanostructures on a titanium surface

One-dimensional quasiperiodic structures whose period is much smaller than the wavelength of exciting radiation have been obtained on a titanium surface under the multipulse action of linearly polarized femtosecond laser radiation with various surface energy densities. As the radiation energy density increases, the one-dimensional surface nanorelief oriented perpendicularly to the radiation polarization evolves from quasiperiodic ablation nanogrooves to regular lattices with subwave periods (100–400 nm). In contrast to the preceding works for various metals, the period of lattices for titanium decreases with increasing energy density. The formation of the indicated surface nanostructures is explained by the interference of the electric fields of incident laser radiation and a surface electromagnetic wave excited by this radiation, because the length of the surface electromagnetic wave for titanium with significant interband absorption decreases with an increase in the electron excitation of the material.

Ultrafast changes in the optical properties of a titanium surface and femtosecond laser writing of one-dimensional quasi-periodic nanogratings of its relief

One-dimensional quasi-periodic nanogratings with spacings in the range from 160 to 600 nm are written on a dry or wet titanium surface exposed to linearly polarized femtosecond IR and UV laser pulses with different surface energy densities. The topological properties of the obtained surface nanostructures are studied by scanning electron microscopy. Despite the observation of many harmonics of the one-dimensional surface relief in its Fourier spectra, a weak decreasing dependence of the first-harmonic wavenumber (nanograting spacing) on the laser fluence is found. Studies of the instantaneous optical characteristics of the material during laser irradiation by measuring the reflection of laser pump pulses and their simulation based on the Drude model taking into account the dominant interband absorption allowed us to estimate the length of the excited surface electromagnetic (plasmon-polariton) wave for different excitation conditions. This wavelength is quantitatively consistent with the corresponding nanograting spacings of the first harmonic of the relief of the dry and wet titanium surfaces. It is shown that the dependence of the first-harmonic nanograting spacing on the laser fluence is determined by a change in the instantaneous optical characteristics of the material and the saturation of the interband absorption along with the increasing role of intraband transitions. Three new methods are proposed for writing separate subwave surface nanogratings or their sets by femtosecond laser pulses using the near-threshold nanostructuring, the forced adjustment of the optical characteristics of the material or selecting the spectral range of laser radiation, and also by selecting an adjacent dielectric.

Nanoscale cavitation instability of the surface melt along the grooves of one-dimensional nanorelief gratings on an aluminum surface

Femtosecond laser nanostructuring at low fluences produces a one-dimensional quasiperiodic grating of grooves on an aluminum surface with a period (≈0.5 μm) that is determined by the length of a surface electromagnetic wave. The structure of the grooves of the surface nanograting is formed by regular nanopeaks following with a period of about 200 nm. Some nanopeaks manifest craters at their tops. It is suggested that nanopeaks are formed due to the frozen nanoscale spallative ablation of a nanolayer of an aluminum melt in quasiperiodic regions corresponding to interference maxima of the laser radiation with the surface electromagnetic wave. The periodicity of the appearance of nanopeaks along grooves is due to the previously predicted mechanism of cavitation deformation of the melt surface in the process of macroscopic spallation ablation. However, in this case, cavitation is coherent (similar to a near-critical spinodal decay) rather than spontaneous.

Sub-100?nanometer transverse gratings written by femtosecond laser pulses on a titanium surface

One-dimensional transverse (perpendicular to the laser polarization) gratings with periods Λ ≈ 50–60 nm were observed on a titanium surface within 150 nm wide, micrometer-long regular surface modification longitudinal stripes fabricated by multiple 744 nm Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser shots, occurring at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. In the center of the surface laser spot these stripes are oriented strictly perpendicular to the laser polarization, in accordance with the plasmon-polaritonic model, and appear as ablative longitudinal trenches centered along the main stripe axes, which are precursors of longitudinal common ripples with a 500 nm period. At the low-fluence periphery of the laser spot, the stripes appear not as ablative longitudinal trenches, but as linear arrays of sub-ablative transverse nanoripples with periods down to 50 nm. The appearance of such superfine transverse nanoripples is related to incomplete spallation of the laser–molten surface layer, periodically modulated at the nanoscale through coherent sub-surface cavitation.

Formation of periodic nanostructures on aluminum surface by femtosecond laser pulses

One-dimensional periodic nanostructures have been produced on the surface of an aluminum specimen using femtosecond laser pulses at wavelengths of 744 and 248 nm. The nanostructurization of the specimen has been conducted in water and in air in the preablation regime. We investigate the dependence that the surface topology has on the parameters of laser radiation (wavelength, fluence, and number of pulses), as well as on the medium in contact with the specimen surface. A calculation of the optical characteristics of aluminum as they depend on the electron temperature is performed that is good at describing the dependence that the reflection of the p-polarized infrared femtosecond pulses of pumping has on the fluence. Using these optical characteristics of the photoexcited aluminum within the interferential model, periods of the aluminum surface nanogratings are estimated which are in good agreement with the periods measured experimentally.

Femtosecond laser modification of titanium surfaces: direct imprinting of hydroxylapatite nanopowder and wettability tuning via surface microstructuring

Femtosecond laser modification of titanium surfaces was performed to produce microstructured hydrophilic and biocompatible surface layers. Biocompatible nano/microcoatings were prepared for the first time by dry femtosecond laser imprinting of hydroxylapatite nano/micropowder onto VT6 titanium surfaces. In these experiments HAP was first deposited onto the titanium surfaces and then softly imprinted by multiple femtosecond laser pulses into the laser-melted surface metal layer. The surface relief was modified at the nano- and microscales depending on the incident laser fluence and sample scanning speed. Wetting tests demonstrated that the wetting properties of the pristine Ti surface can be tuned through its laser modification in both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic directions.

Superhydrophylic textures fabricated by femtosecond laser pulses on sub-micro- and nano-crystalline titanium surfaces

Sub-micron quasi-regular surface textures were fabricated on surfaces of pure titanium (VT1-0) with micro- and ultrafine-grained bulk structures by multiple femtosecond laser pulses in the scanning mode and characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Their wetting characteristics acquired for the initial non-textured and as-textured samples, as well as upon ultrasonic and plasma cleaning, demonstrate corresponding drastic changes of the wetting angles from 87° to ≤ 10°, with much more pronounced contamination, cleaning and wetting effects for the ultrafine-grained titanium.

Surface Modification of Titanium by Pulsed Laser Radiation of Femtosecond Duration

The effect of an infrared pulse laser with femtosecond radiation (λ = 744 nm, τ ≈ 120 fs, E ≤ 8 mJ) on the surface of Ti of commercially purity in the submicrocrystalline state is investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Laser irradiation leads to the formation of a surface nanorelief consisting of alternating projections (bars) and hollows (grooves). After surface treatment under a water layer, cube-shaped particles are formed on Ti surface; they are composed of many tightly contiguous rectangular plates.

Nanostructuring of solid surfaces by femtosecond laser pulses

One‐dimensional quasi‐periodic structures whose period is much smaller than the wavelength of exciting optical radiation have been obtained on a titanium surface under the multi‐shot action of linearly polarized femtosecond laser radiation at various surface energy densities. As the radiation energy density increases, the one‐dimensional surface nanogratings oriented perpendicularly to the radiation polarization evolve from quasi‐periodic ablative nano‐grooves to regular lattices with sub‐wavelength periods (90–400 nm). In contrast to the preceding works for various metals, the period of lattices for titanium decreases with increasing energy density. The formation of the indicated surface nanostructures is explained by the interference of the electric fields of incident laser radiation and a surface electromagnetic wave excited by this radiation, as shown by our transient reflectivity measurements and modeling, because the length of the surface electromagnetic wave for titanium with significant interband ...

Study of the Structure of Crater at the Surface of 12Cr18Ni10Ti Steel Irradiated by High-Power Pulsed Ion Beam

The topography of surface layers of 12Cr18Ni10Ti (AISI 321) steel after pulsed high-power Cn+ ion beams irradiation was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. A thin foil was prepared from the cross section of a crater with the use of a focused ion beam in the column of a two-beam electron-ion microscope. The microstructure and chemical composition of the crater were studied by transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the near-surface layer (~2 μm in depth) of the crater is represented by an area of columnar grains elongated in the direction of the surface. Under the layer of columnar grains, the region with equiaxial submicrocrystalline grains is situated.